Banshee: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 316 Ratings

See All

8.6

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.6	Your Score
8.6	User Score Universal acclaim based on 316 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Banshee

Now Playing: Banshee

Season Details & Credits

Cinemax | Season Premiere Date: January 11, 2013

Starring: Matt Servitto, Demetrius Grosse, Anthony Ruivivar

Summary: Ex-con Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) may be the new sheriff of Banshee, Pennsylvania, but he's not reformed even if he's hiding from the gangsters he and his old partner, Carrie Hopewell (Ivana Milicevic), betrayed.

Creator: Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Suspense

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. A Mixture of Madness
Air Date: March 15, 2013
tbd
S1:E9. Always a Cowboy
Air Date: March 8, 2013
tbd
S1:E8. We Shall Live Forever
Air Date: March 1, 2013

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Rob Brunner

Jan 3, 2013

Despite the somewhat strained setup, Banshee is a kick: ultraviolent, over-the-top, and wickedly fun. [11 Jan 2013, p.80]

Rob Owen

Jan 10, 2013

It's the characters of Banshee and their labyrinth of relationships that make the show an engrossing, entertaining portrait of a fictional small town. Read full review

Linda Stasi

Jan 10, 2013

It's all much better than it sounds, and more importantly, like "Strike Back," is written better than you'd expect. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Matt Roush

Jan 11, 2013

Banshee is a mangy mutt of a TV show and doesn't care if you know it. Read full review

Mary McNamara

Jan 11, 2013

Banshee has has elements of "Justified," "Big Love," Ball's "True Blood" and, of course, the film "Witness." What it doesn't have, at least in the first two episodes, is anything new to say, about small towns, power, corruption, fear, crime or love. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Jan 11, 2013

The show has some unorthodox elements, but feels fairly cliched in most of its beats, largely serving as an excuse for bouts of grisly violence and gratuitous sex. Read full review

Hank Stuever

Jan 10, 2013

Banshee has the audacity to behave as though its bloody violence, implausible set-up and studied ugliness is somehow vanguard television. In fact, it's just more of the same. Read full review

SEE ALL 20 REVIEWS

User Score

Write a Review

8.6

User Reviews

Avalord

Sep 24, 2013

Second only to "Breaking Bad". Reminds me very much of Tarantino and Frank Miller. The survival of the main charakters is always unlikely but they always stay true to their personality... Incredibly dense action from the start and it never slows down!

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

golligow

Aug 30, 2013

I LOVED this series. Have been watching all the must see fare from HBO and Netflix etc and this tops the lot for can't wait for next episodeness (except maybe for Game of Thrones.) Firstly, the story is excellent, it keeps its threads going brilliantly, it's never flabby or verbose, it'sI LOVED this series. Have been watching all the must see fare from HBO and Netflix etc and this tops the lot for can't wait for next episodeness (except maybe for Game of Thrones.) Firstly, the story is excellent, it keeps its threads going brilliantly, it's never flabby or verbose, it's always right on point. The main character is a whizz at the ultra-violence and you wonder how he can be so good with his extremities until you find out with a nice bit of back story. Indeed, the frequent(ish) back story elements are part of the programmes charm, you look forward to them, rather than dreading them as annoying exposition, like in so many dramas. Lots of great fight sequences, lots of gratuitous nudity (all skinny up and down women but hey, you can't have everything) and the piece de resistance, THE BEST BADDIE BEST ACTED BADDIE I've seen in many a year, in the fantastic Ulrich Thomsen as Kai Proctor. I was mesmerised every time he was on the screen, his character is brilliantly written and brilliantly acted, and look out for one of the most intricately realised scenes depicting a man confronting his past in episode 8 when Proctor encounters his estranged Amish family. Thomsens' acting here made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. And like all series with a second run on the way, the ending is left somewhat open but is not at all frustrating, it is a fitting and exciting climax, you don't groan and wish they'd 'ended it differently' or given you more, like in so many series. Brilliant, I love Banshee.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

tbux

Mar 1, 2013

This show is easily the best shock in three years. The episode that just premiered gives the famous Game of Thrones episode, "The Battle of Black Water," a run for its money. Ulrich Thomsen portrays Kai Proctor in what is some of the best acting I have seen in recent memory. I have neverThis show is easily the best shock in three years. The episode that just premiered gives the famous Game of Thrones episode, "The Battle of Black Water," a run for its money. Ulrich Thomsen portrays Kai Proctor in what is some of the best acting I have seen in recent memory. I have never seen so many amazing plot twists before and look forward to watching the rest of this season and season 2. I suggest anyone that likes bloody action scenes to watch every episode immediately.… Expand

9 of 11 users found this helpful92

SalTascioni

Mar 29, 2013

My opinion about the first season is that is the best new series after Game of Thrones. This series could also improve, with more money and more attention to details.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

rocketpackpanda

Mar 11, 2013

Cinemax and HBO have another winner on there hands. Full of twists and turns Banshee manages to engage the viewer through a mix of grim spectacle and outright badassery. Every episode is layered with style that oozes with dramatic meat to keep the audience magnetized to the screen and justCinemax and HBO have another winner on there hands. Full of twists and turns Banshee manages to engage the viewer through a mix of grim spectacle and outright badassery. Every episode is layered with style that oozes with dramatic meat to keep the audience magnetized to the screen and just when you're properly engaged. Some get's their arm broken or their brains splattered across the walls or streets. This all said one must remember that this is the cinemax arm of HBO, so while the acting is pretty good all around, it is by no means on the level of something like The Wire or Six Feet Under. But with certain tweaks, it could very well be. In fact it puts its sister show, Strikeback, to shame by saying, an action show can have good acting and damn good dialogue. The only other issue with the show, is when they try to do big bad chase sequences. The choreography and direction of them is great, but they don't have the budget to pull them off effectively. It becomes dissengaging when you wind up concentrating on its fakery rather than execution. Otherwise, a solid show, that will have you racing with excitment.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JDECW2012

Mar 29, 2013

Banshee is a great show to a point, some of the characters need a lot of work for season 2, the main character is great and is acted well. If the last two episodes of the first season which were the best of the season tense and ending very interesting if it continues down that road should be good.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Jan 24, 2017

ça commence avec le "héros" : dans le genre gueule de con au charisme d'andouille des îles à col roulé et QI de mollusque, il se pose, là, triomphant dans la ville de péquenots dont il s'est retrouvé Shériff d'un coup de baguette magique aussi grotesque qu'improbable.

ça continue avec leça commence avec le "héros" : dans le genre gueule de con au charisme d'andouille des îles à col roulé et QI de mollusque, il se pose, là, triomphant dans la ville de péquenots dont il s'est retrouvé Shériff d'un coup de baguette magique aussi grotesque qu'improbable.

ça continue avec le grand méchant qui contrôle la ville et qui s'appelle Proctor (ça ne s'invente pas) : mafieux à la petite semaine, sapé comme l'as de pique, il roule des mécaniques comme une vieille Corvette rouillée, une sorte d'affranchi de Prisunic sauf qu'on est pas dans les Affranchis... on en est loin, du genre deux milliards d'années-lumière.

Et puis y a les gonzesses qui ne servent qu'à épater la galerie et amuser le terrain, elles ne sont ni plus ni moins, passez-moi l'expression, que des garages à bites pour le "héros" à tête de con. Tout le reste est à l'avenant et se veut "mature" et branché, "top délire" à la Tarantinolle et assimilés pour se la jouer série de gros durs et de personnages trop "personnels" et violents. Mais oui, on y croit bien fort !

Enfin, la fin, la suite je sais pas, j'ai arrêté pendant qu'il en était encore temps avant d'avoir le cerveau aspiré par cette misérable série au jeu si mauvais qu'on arrive pas à y croire et à la réalisation si chaotique des rares scènes d'action qu'il faut 3 aspirines pour s'en remettre.

Banchie, mon téléviseur, mon vieux lecteur DVD et ma xbouse ont décidé de vous bannir à l'unanimité et leur décision est irrévocable. Mes baffles voulaient te mettre des baffes et mon grille-pain a porté plainte.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

SEE ALL 54 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

66

Series Overview
Season 4

77
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: April 1, 2016
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: January 9, 2015
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: January 10, 2014
Season 1

62
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 11, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E10. A Mixture of Madness
  Air Date: March 15, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E9. Always a Cowboy
  Air Date: March 8, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E8. We Shall Live Forever
  Air Date: March 1, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E7. Behold a Pale Rider
  Air Date: February 22, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E6. Wicks
  Air Date: February 15, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E5. The Kindred
  Air Date: February 8, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E4. Half Deaf is Better Than All Dead
  Air Date: February 1, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E3. Meet the New Boss
  Air Date: January 25, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E2. The Rave
  Air Date: January 18, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E1. Pilot
  Air Date: January 11, 2013